Eastern Henrico rec center gets a facelift

A recreation center in eastern Henrico's Nine Mile corridor getting a major facelift, at no cost to the community.

Park leaders say the project is all part of making this a better place to live.

Time has taken its toll on the Highland Springs Recreation Center. Among the problems: a leaky roof, electrical issues and it isn't handicap accessible. Contractors even found asbestos. It wasn't at dangerous levels, but as a precaution it was removed from the building.

"We can't have the public in buildings that are just not safe, health wise, it's just not right," says Chris Hailey, the senior construction coordinator for the project.

Contractors are gutting the building, making room for the renovations and getting the everything up to code.

"We're going to be putting in new storefront glass that allows natural light to the inside," says Hailey.

The importance of this building is seen in the summer when day camps meet here and little league teams use the rooms before games which are held across the street. The $278,000 for this project is coming from a federally-funded community development grant program.

"This is our third or fourth project over the last three or four years," says Steve Hart, the project manager for the Henrico Department of Parks and Recreation.

County park leaders tell us this is the same type of funding used to renovate different park and recreation areas along Nine Mile Road. Money has already gone into renovations at the Henrico theatre and playgrounds around eastern Henrico.

For Samantha Moreira, who calls the Highland Springs area home, any renovation to this stretch of the county is a good thing.

"I didn't even know there was a building there or that it had to do with this so I think it's nice. Help it stand out a little bit," she said.

Builders believe they'll be done by June, just in time for the teen summer programs.

It sounds just like the plot line of a television show- a woman naked and afraid, lost in remote woods. But Lisa Theris’ journey back to civilization was real life and a real struggle that lasted a month in Bullock County.

It sounds just like the plot line of a television show- a woman naked and afraid, lost in remote woods. But Lisa Theris’ journey back to civilization was real life and a real struggle that lasted a month in Bullock County.